Today, 16 residents live in four autism-friendly houses with large, separate bedrooms and soundproof walls. It’s a structured environment in a natural setting that’s miles away from city noises that can cause stress. When life becomes stressful anyway, residents can find calming activities outside, such as hiking, gardening, or hanging out with the horses. The farm provides organic produce, fresh eggs, and herbs to local restaurants and homes through its community-supported agriculture program. Residents can choose to help with farm work, based on their abilities and interests. Repetitive tasks — like poking a hole in the soil, adding a seed, and covering it with more soil — can be appealing to people with ASD, says Pam Lockwood, board president and co-founder.
Residents of Safe Haven Farms tend to a variety of seasonal tasks that rely on repetition and routine.
“There is a lot of repetition in farm work, and there is a beginning and an end. You plant it, you feed it, you watch it grow,” she says. “There’s no rush to learn a task here like there would be at a regular job. If it takes a year to learn something, that’s fine.” Nonresidents can participate in day programs, including a therapeutic equestrian program. Safe Haven also looks for opportunities to bring people out to the farm, such as inviting speech therapists to a holiday party to gain experience working with autistic adults. This summer, the new farm store will sell alpaca nesting balls, hand-painted garden signs, colorful firestarter cups, and various other resident-made wares. Lockwood grew up in Cincinnati, so she learned about farm life along with her son, one of the original resident farmers. David, now in his 30s, had been living in a St. Louis home, and more than once, Lockwood found herself on a five-hour road trip after a medical or other emergency. The house there was also close to the street, so David had to spend much of his time indoors due to safety precautions. That setup can work for some people. It just wasn’t the right fit for her family. “Everyone is different,” Lockwood says, “and everyone is entitled to live somewhere that works for them.” In 2011, it was time for Safe Haven Farms to be put to the test. So many people had worked for years to bring the farm to life. Would it be worth all the effort? Lockwood got her answer shortly after David moved in. She watched his expression slowly change as he realized he could walk around 60 acres of farmland whenever he wanted. He looked happy. Safe Haven Farms was the right fit.
Safe Haven Farms, 5970 No Mans Road, Middletown, OH 45042; 513-422-1880; www.safehavenfarms.org
JULY 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 11
